


Towers

by AmaliaIR



Series: Drabbles [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Multi, Triad - Freeform, harry potter polyamory, harry potter triad, mmm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 21:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13256982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmaliaIR/pseuds/AmaliaIR
Summary: Harry, Draco, and Theo go on a little adventure around the castle, finding old and new things along the way.





	Towers

Draco had spent so much of sixth year in secret, sneaking around and hiding behind corners around the castle, that now it felt like second nature to him, even though he really had no reason to hide during that useless seventh year, and neither did he now.

He thought this eight year had been just as useless as far as magical education was concerned. The only difference was that this year had been immensely better for his mental health, and he could finally say that he felt some semblance of stability and contentment once again. His family was alive and well (or as well as they could be during a year’s probation and house arrest), he had had no legal consequences for his mistakes (thanks to Potter of all people), and he was surrounded by friends that he had no qualms in considering loyal.

Talking about Potter and friends, he couldn’t stop staring at the way one of his best mates, Theo, was talking animatedly to Potter. Draco was looking down at them from the top of the stairs, peeking out from the entrance to the boy’s dormitories. He really hated that they had been moved from the dungeons to one of these ridiculous towers; everything was so far up high here, he always felt like he was about to fall.

No one else was up yet, the common room empty except for Theo, who still had bed hair, and Potter, who always had bed hair. Draco wished he could hear what they were talking about, but he was too far away and their voices were lowered as to not wake anyone.

But Draco had awoken as soon as he had heard Potter rouse a few minutes earlier. The Gryffindor had tore open the curtains to his four poster bed as if he’d been having a bad dream and needed to see the sunlight entering through the windows. He sat there in his bed for a while, rubbing his eyes and sighing, and Draco had been unable to look away, thankfully mostly hidden behind his own curtain and Theo’s bed, which separated Draco’s and Potter’s. When Potter finally got up and left, merely throwing some robes on top of his pajamas, Draco was surprised to see Theo do the same and follow Potter out of the dormitory. It may have been a coincidence but Draco needed to know, and that’s why he was currently spying on them.

Potter smiled slightly at something Theo said, and Draco’s heart jumped. Then, just as suddenly as they had started talking, Potter spun around and left the common room, while Theo turned the other way and started heading back to the boy’s dormitories. Draco took a quick step back and for a moment he considered running to his bed and pretending to be asleep, but his curiosity was bigger than his embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping, so he took a deep breath and started walking down the stairs.

Theo froze as he looked up at him. “Draco,” he said in surprise as small patches of pink colored his face.

“Hey.” Draco tried to sound casual, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded. He stopped just two steps away from Theo. “Why were you talking to Potter?”

Theo hesitated for a moment, but with one look at Draco’s clearly determined face, he sighed and let his tense shoulders drop. “I know you hate him and this is going to sound stupid but…”

Draco’s insides squirmed uncomfortably at the word ‘hate’. 

“But I heard him having a nightmare and when he woke up he looked like shit and I...I felt bad for him.” Theo shrugged one shoulder and walked up one step closer to Draco. “He seemed really lonely. Weasley’s not here, and I thought he could use someone to talk to.”

Draco frowned. He always forgot that Weasley wasn’t at Hogwarts anymore because he was taking care of his brother’s joke shop in Hogsmeade, but since it was so close to the castle, Weasley stopped by at least once a day, so it was easy to forget he wasn’t actually staying here.

When Draco didn’t say anything, Theo continued. “I just told him I was sorry for any animosity in the past and that if he ever wanted to talk…”

“Since when are you so sensitive to Potter’s plight?” Draco asked, louder and harsher than he would have liked. He had no idea why he suddenly felt so bothered, but he didn’t like it one bit.

And if Theo’s face was anything to go by, he didn’t like it either. “Since my father died in the battle last year; a lonely poor bastard killed by his own stupidity and lack of consideration for anyone else. And since I don’t want to end up like him.”

Theo pushed past a stunned Draco and got to the boy’s dormitories before Draco could even turn around. He wanted to punch himself in the face for being so stupid. 

He sat right where he was, in the middle of the stairs, and thought about ways to make this better as he looked down at the common room. Having Theo mad at him was the last thing he wanted and he would do anything to fix it, but for a moment there, he could only think about the shock of electricity that had surged through him as Theo’s arm brushed his own.

.

Theo never thought he’d admit that Weasley wasn’t so bad, but it was true. He had always seen too obnoxious and annoying to be likeable, but once Theo got to know him he could say he was a good bloke, and even funny sometimes. Granger was alright too, though Theo had barely spent any time with her since she was always with Pansy now, and Pansy prefered that the two of them were alone.

Hanging out with Harry’s friends was an added benefit that Theo hadn’t expected. He had always had the same friends, and when he thought about befriending Harry he imagined that it would only add one more to his list of closely acquainted classmates. Instead, it opened the doors to the possibility of many more friends, and it was a little overwhelming, if he was honest with himself. 

Harry could see that, though. Theo could tell that Harry noticed when he was uncomfortable, and he would only introduce one friend at the time.

Weasley had just gone back to work, so it was only Theo and Harry down at the lake. November was approaching fast, and the wind hitting their faces was starting to become a bit too much. 

Just when Theo was going to suggest going inside the castle, Harry spoke. “Did you notice that Malfoy has been watching us from the entrance this whole time?”

Theo looked over his shoulder then and saw Draco, standing with his hands in his pockets and facing their way, not even pretending he wasn’t looking at them. Theo shook his head in disbelief.

“I don’t understand him. If I didn’t know him well enough I’d say he’s jealous because he fancies you,” Theo said as he brushed some hair away from his face. 

Harry’s eyes widened for just a fraction before he smiled rather nervously. “Well, I don’t know him well enough, but if I did, I’d say he hasn’t exactly been looking at me this whole time.”

Theo was sure he was blushing but then he shook it off, not wanting Harry to see him like that. His green eyes were piercing, and for a moment Theo felt himself drawn to them, like he should be seeing them from up close. His heart thudded almost painfully.

“I should go talk to him,” Theo heard himself saying. “He looks like he wants to apologize and I haven’t seen that look many times before.”

Harry nodded, his face entire too close to Theo’s. Suddenly it wasn’t cold at all. 

The fact that Theo knew that Draco was watching them right now didn’t decrease Theo’s wanton for leaning in closer to Harry, in fact, it somehow increased it. That’s why it took such an immense effort for Theo to get to his feet and wave goodbye to Harry.

“I’ll be having lunch with Hermione if you want to stop by later,” Harry told him before Theo started walking away. His voice was rather rough.

Theo smiled. “I’ll try.”

.

The Slytherin table was quite full. Not everybody had returned for their eight year, but there were a lot of new students and they had pushed the oldest ones like Theo and Draco to the very edge of the table. They sat next to each other, closer than they would have done in any other circumstance, but neither mentioned it.

Draco scoffed. “Can you believe what he’s wearing?” he said as he nodded towards the Gryffindor table. 

Theo didn’t have to look to know Draco was referring to the fact that Potter was having breakfast in his pajamas, but he looked up anyway, and saw him with his messy hair and crooked glasses, laughing at something Dean Thomas was saying. 

Draco had always been overly interested in Harry Potter, and for almost all his life Theo hadn’t understood why. Now he could definitely see the appeal, and he was very familiar with Draco’s very particular type of dislike that was more longing that anything else; but he still didn’t get how Draco could stand not doing anything about it even after all this time.

“I always wondered what that was like,” Draco mentioned offhandedly as he continued to stare at Harry and poked his food with his fork. 

“What what’s like?” Theo asked, not following his train of thought. Wearing pajamas in public? Not caring what everyone else thought?

Draco finally looked down and looked apprehensive to continue for a second. “Just...being part of Potter’s group. Doing whatever they want and getting away with it, sneaking around the castle, wearing that stupid invisibility cloak…”

Theo nodded in understanding. “You’d be surprised at the amount of times he told me he’s worn it just to be alone.”

Draco seemed slightly surprised by this, and he was quiet for a while before speaking again. “Still. It’d be interesting to see what a Mighty Potter Adventure looks like, when he doesn’t want to be alone.”

“Then you should stop waiting for it to happen on its own and do it.”

Draco turned his head to look at Theo like he was insane. “How exactly would I do that?”

Theo shrugged, placing his fork back on his empty plate and squeezing Draco’s knee before standing up. “You’ll figure it out.”

.

 

Theo’s words had been ringing on Draco’s head all say. You’ll figure it out. Yeah, right, like it was that easy. What was Draco going to do? Walk up to Potter and say ‘grab your invisibility cloak, we’re going on an adventure.’

He snorted to himself as he climbed up the never ending stairs leading to the common room. He really hated these towers. 

The portrait of the common room opened and Draco actually stopped walking when he realized it was empty. It was a Sunday evening, where was everybody? 

Draco walked further in and his heart jumped what felt like several feet in the air when he saw that there was one person there. Potter was sitting in an armchair by the fire, a large parchment open in his lap and already looking at Draco. 

“Um,” Draco started, shifting uncomfortably. “Where is everybody?”

Potter pushed up his glasses and signaled to the window. “Hagrid’s brought a baby hippogriff, so everyone’s down there watching. He invited all the eight years this morning, weren't you there?”

“No.” Draco shook his head. “I was on the library, trying to ignore Pansy and Granger snogging in a corner.”

Potter chuckled. “Oh well, I think they're still there if you want to go see.”

Draco walked over to the window and looked down. He could only see the tops of the heads of his classmates as they crowded around Hagrid. 

“Don't you want to see it?” Draco asked Potter as he turned back around to face him. 

“Oh no, that's alright I…” Potter pushed something behind him as leaned back further into his seat, and Draco had a very good idea of what it could be. “I've already seen it.”

Draco looked at Potter suspiciously and it was then when he noticed that the parchment on his lap had little dots moving all over a familiar background. Draco had never seen anything like it. 

“What's that?” he asked, walking closer to Potter and trying to get a better look at the parchment. 

“Nothing!” Potter exclaimed as he quickly folded it up. 

Draco stopped walking. They both looked at each other for a moment and then Draco sat down across from Potter.

“Have you ever taken Theo with you?” 

Potter looked taken aback by this question, and he merely frowned at Draco. 

“When you go sneaking around the castle. Has Theo ever gone with you?” Draco tried to sound casual, but he knew this was anything but. Potter might deny that he roams about whenever he likes, or that he has ever taken Theo along. Theo hadn't been very specific about what is it that he and Potter do when they hang out, maybe purposefully to annoy Draco. 

Potter seemed to be contemplating his answer for a while, and then Draco swore he saw the corners of his mouth twitch. “We tried, but my invisibility cloak is not big enough. Theo’s very tall.”

Draco scoffed. “Not taller than Weasley.” Or me, he thought, because he didn't want Potter to think he was comparing himself to Theo. 

The way Potter laughed made Draco realize he was kidding. He felt his face flush with embarrassment and he balled his hands into fists. 

“I sneak around alone now,” Potter said with a shrug, ignoring Draco's angry glare. “Ron's not here and Hermione’s been too… busy.” He looked out the window, where the sun had started to set low in the horizon. “Also, there's nothing exciting going on anymore.” At the questioning sound Draco made, Potter turned back to look at him. “Not that I'm not glad that there's no imminent danger, but walking down quiet and uneventful halls alone makes me miss the thrill of old times.”

Draco almost rolled his eyes, almost, but he knew that it wouldn't do him any favors, and he kind of wanted to be on Potter's good side right now. 

“You don't have to beg, Potter.”

Harry turned to look at him. “What?”

Draco smirked. “Grab your invisibility cloak. We're going on an adventure.”

 

.

 

Theo awoke with a start, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest by the sheer terror of feeling someone’s hands on his shoulders in the middle of the night.

“Fuck, Theo, it’s me! Relax!”

Theo recognized the voice, but it took him a few seconds to be able to focus his eyes in the dark. A tall, familiar figure was standing over him, whispering and carefully brushing Theo’s hair that had fallen on his face at his rapid movement.

“Draco?” Theo asked as his eyes adjusted to the light and he could see the moonlight reflecting off his friend’s white blond hair.

“Yes,” Draco whispered and helped Theo sit up. “Come on, we have to go,” he urged him.

Theo sensed the urgency in Draco’s voice and his heart started hammering again, but he didn’t hesitate for a moment and he was on his feet before the other man could say anything else. Theo threw some robes on, grabbed his wand from under his pillow, and put on his shoes in a matter of seconds. His head was spinning madly, and he could only focus on the person in front of him. He and Draco would be alright, they had always been.

“I’m ready,” Theo whispered rapidly and took a hold of Draco’s hand.

“Theo, wait-” 

But Theo was already pulling Draco out of the room, running as quietly as he could. Once they left the dormitories, Theo stopped just before going down the stairs and he turned to look at Draco with distress. “Where to?”

Draco seemed awfully calmed, though, there was definitely some concern in his features. He let go of Theo’s hand and placed both hands on Theo’s shoulders carefully. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have scared you like that.” His grey eyes were staring into Theo’s in a steady, calming manner. “Nothing bad is happening.”

Before Theo could connect the dots in his mind, Draco had pulled him into a hug and held him tight. “Wait, but then what’s happening?” Theo asked, feeling Draco’s also rapid heartbeat through his chest.

“I’m so thick,” Draco said while shaking his head. “I should have told you this was just something I planned with Potter. You must have pictured the worst…”

Theo had indeed pictured the worst. Death Eaters were back and looking for them. The Order was back and looking for them. Dementors waiting to throw them in Azkaban.

“No, no...that’s alright. I’m sorry.” Theo felt his eyes sting for a moment, but it quickly went away as he wrapped his arms around Draco too, and he slowly felt both of them getting calmer.

Draco pulled away softly and looked at Theo with worry and remorse. “Are you alright?”

Theo nodded and squeezed Draco’s hand reassuringly. “Yes.”

There was some scruffing from downstairs and both Draco and Theo turned to look at the same time. Harry was there in the common room, his invisibility cloak thrown over his shoulder, making almost half his body invisible. He looked like he had been standing there this whole time, uncomfortably trying not to be noticed and not to interrupt as he looked anywhere but at them. Theo thought he looked rather endearing.

“If you didn’t want to be seen, Potter, there’s a tool for that,” Draco said sarcastically and Harry turned to him and narrowed his eyes.

“One more word and you’re not coming, Malfoy.”

Draco opened his mouth but Theo immediately clamped his hand over it. “For once in your life Draco, shut up.” 

Theo took Draco’s hand again and started pulling him downstairs towards Harry; his heart beating for a completely different reason this time.

.

They moved swiftly and comfortably, almost magically so, their feet pounding rhythmically on the floor as Draco’s heartbeat followed, making him feel like he was eleven years old and seeing the castle for the first time, or maybe thirty years old and coming back to his childhood home. But he definitely didn’t feel like what he was; an eighteen year old crouching uncomfortably under a cloak in between one of his best friends and his former enemy. Though, Potter never really was the true enemy, was he?

They had just left the kitchens after Potter managed to get them some late night biscuits from the elves, and now they were trying to see if they could get inside the Hufflepuff common room, as none of them as ever been there.

“Turn left here,” Draco whispered into Potter’s ear, and was sure a shiver ran down the other man’s spine.

“Wait,” Potter said, coming to a halt and making Draco run into his back as Theo ran into Draco’s. 

Theo took a hold of Draco’s arm and tried to peer over Draco’s shoulder at Potter. “What’s the hold up?”

Potter was struggling with the map in his hands. “I think Filch is down the corridor to the left.”

“So we just-” 

Draco as interrupted by a loud meow that could only belong to Mrs Norris, and the three of them looked at each other in panic before Potter started pushing them back, their feet stepping over each other’s and somehow miraculously avoiding a messy fall. A second later, Potter was opening a door that Draco hadn’t noticed, and he shoved him and Theo inside.

The broom cupboard was small, and Draco wondered if it could contain his excitement. The fear of getting caught was not heavy or burdensome like it had been at some point before when terrible things were happening around them, and he could tell the other two felt it as well. Theo cast a silent ‘lumos’, and in its light Draco was able to see the spark of mischief and laughter in Theo’s and Potter’s eyes.

They waited in anticipated silence for a while before Potter opened the map again, and the three of them looked down on it. 

“I think we’re safe,” Theo said. “Filch is up on the second floor now.”

Potter nodded. “Shall we?”

Draco couldn’t stop staring at the three little dots huddled together in a broom cupboard and his heart lifted. “Let’s go.”

But right before opening the door again, Theo stopped them, one hand on Potter’s shoulder and the other on Draco’s. They both turned around to look at him as Theo struggled to pull something out of the pocket of his robes.

“This seems as good a time as any to tell you,” he said and finally held up in his hand a bottle of firewhiskey and a triumphant smile. 

“I stole something from the kitchens.”

.

 

Harry stumbled for the fifth or hundreth, only to be caught by a different pair of hands each time. He didn’t even look over his shoulder this time to see if it had been Malfoy or Theo or both.

“Stop rushing me,” Malfoy slurred in a whisper to Theo. “We’re not going to get there any faster.”

Theo chuckled. “I don’t know why we even bother, we’re clearly visible from the knees down.”

Harry had gotten used to crouching as much as he could under the invisibility cloak with Ron and Hermione, but both Malfoy and Theo were taller than him, so it felt more crowded than usual. Also, contrary to his previous night-time outings around the castle, he had no idea where they were going next, but the moving flight of stairs they were climbing seemed to know where to take them, so he just went with it. They’d already managed to break into all the common rooms, as well visited Moaning Myrtle and tried to find the burnt Room of Requirement, to no avail.

“The teacher’s lounge,” Malfoy said breathlessly as they stepped in front of a door, his hand reaching out to touch the knob before Theo slapped it down.

“Do you really think they’ll leave it open for anyone to get inside?” Theo asked Malfoy and then swayed on the spot. “No. No. There’s probably a secret way to enter. Like-like a spell you have to perform-”

“Or a riddle even harder than the one in Ravenclaw’s tower,” Harry agreed, feeling his head spinning a little. “Or a secret knock or-”

Malfoy put his hand over the knob and turned it over, pushing the door open and making Harry and Theo jump.

“What the fuck?” Theo breathed out and they all peered inside the room.

There were bottles and glasses scattered around, a few empty plates of food, and even a turned over chair or too.

“Or,” Malfoy said as he held back a laugh. “Someone’s been as carelessly drunk as we are.”

 

.

 

“Signed...your mom.” 

There was a loud roar of laughter as Harry, Theo, and Malfoy collapsed to the floor of the owlery, doubling over and not being able to speak for a full minute as they all tried to catch their breaths. 

Theo go to his feet to roll up the parchment and tie it to the owl’s leg. “Blaise Zabini, breakfast in the great hall,” he said to the owl and pet it lightly. Harry couldn’t stop laughing.

They had taken parchment and quills from the teacher’s lounge after spending nearly an hour doing impersonations and taking guesses about what the teachers usually did in that room.

“Now-now,” Malfoy said, standing up and leaning over Theo. “Write one to Pansy pretending to be Granger and-” He pointed at Harry, who was still on the floor. “Potter will write one to Granger pretending to be Pansy.”

Harry chuckled and shook his head. “No way, Malfoy. Hermione will know is me as soon as she opens the letter.”

Malfoy opened his mouth to argue, but Theo got in the middle and waves his arms around, apparently angry. 

“Stop it!” he called out, his voice raised. “Stop calling each other ‘Potter’ and ‘Malfoy’.” He looked from one to the other, frustrated at first and then he softened. “You both have first names. Beautiful first names, don’t you see?”

Harry couldn’t help but smile, and as he looked up at Mal-Draco, he found him smiling as well, locking eyes with him over Theo’s shoulder. 

“So just, stop it,” Theo slurred drunkledly and then slid down to the floor next to Harry, who patted him on the arm sympathetically.

Draco stepped in front of them. “So, Harry. Where do you want to go next?”

Harry considered for a moment. They had been practically all over the castle already, and it had to be at least four in the morning. Oddly, Harry wasn’t tired yet, and something inside him told him that they should keep exploring. 

They left the owlery and the empty bottle of firewhiskey behind, wondering if Filch would think that the owls stole it. They were all so tipsy at this point that it was even harder to keep themselves hidden under the cloak, so they all tried to keep as close to each other as possible to prevent anyone from stumbling out of the cloak. Harry was in the middle this time, grabbing as fistful of Theo’s robes in front of him as Draco clutched to Harry’s, and they tried to keep quiet as Theo led them somewhere. 

Harry wasn't really paying attention to their surroundings now, because their own small atmosphere inside the cloak was entirely too interesting and intoxicating to Harry. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was actually intoxicated, but he felt as though he could walk around with them like this forever; clutching to each other to keep close, sharing each other’s warmth, hearing each other’s footsteps as the only sound, breathing in each other’s secret breaths and then-

Theo stopped in his tracks, and Harry was certain that he shouldn’t have enjoyed so much the way his nose bumped against the back of Theo’s head, or the fact that he couldn’t even step away because Draco had collided with him too, and was caging him against Theo, both his hands on Harry’s hips for reasons he couldn’t bother about right now.

“Oh,” Theo said with a low exhale. Harry wondered if Theo could feel his breathing on his neck. “Maybe we should turn around. I didn’t realize we’d end up here.”

When Harry reluctantly looked up, he felt Draco do the same behind him, and both of them held their breaths as they saw the stairwell leading to the Astronomy Tower.

It was funny, really, how something as commonplace as a flight of stairs could make Harry feel so much. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of steps around the castle, most of them vastly more impressive than the ones in front of him right now, but he couldn’t help sobering up almost instantly as his hands fell limply to his sides.

Theo turned around then, looking at Harry and Draco with a worried expression. “Let’s go to the lake. I bet it’s fantastic at this time of the-”

“No.”

Harry could have sworn the words came out of his mouth, but as he followed Theo’s eyes he realized that Draco had been the one who spoke.

Harry nodded. “He’s right. We should go up.”

And despite another distracting attempt from Theo, up they went.

It seemed to take forever, and for a moment Harry wished that they hadn’t broken apart in order to climb the steps, that someone was holding him as he prepared himself to see this place again after such a long (or short?) time. He wished Draco and Theo would hold his hands.

It was Draco who removed the cloak and opened the door, and he stepped in determinedly, so fast that Harry was sure he was rushing himself to do it or otherwise he would turn around and forget about it altogether, but Harry was glad he had done it. It gave him the push he needed to walk through the threshold, knowing that instead of terrible memories, he would just see Draco there, resolute and real and oh so different.

Theo walked in last, and he seemed to be keeping himself separate from Draco and Harry, perhaps thinking that they needed space; that there was something in his presence that did not fit in there with them, but Harry wanted to tell him that he couldn’t have been more wrong. That he was the one that came to talk to Harry when he most needed it. That he was the one who bridged the gap between Harry and Draco. That he was the one who made them call each other by their first names. That he was the one who brought them up here, unwillingly or not, it didn’t matter to Harry, because this strange closure that he was feeling by standing in this room wouldn’t be complete if Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott weren’t there with him, representing Harry’s past as well as his future; old enemies and new friends, past grudges and new hope, former mistakes and new adventures.

Unfortunately, Harry’s mouth wouldn’t work, but it’d be alright. Harry had a feeling he would have time to tell Theo and Draco these things and more.

Draco was leaning over the banister, looking and at the grounds and suppressing a shudder before he turned around and locked eyes with Harry. There was an understanding there, an offering of things that Harry never knew he needed, but now that he got it he felt something inside him settle calmly, like he could finally rest. The air was thick and meaningful, but not in a bad way, and he hoped the other two felt it as well. 

After a moment, Draco’s eyes fell on Theo for just a second before they went back to Harry’s. Harry smiled.

Draco walked over to Theo and took his hand, pulling him from the corner where he was standing and leading him to the middle of the room where Harry stood, and the three of them looked at each other. Harry sighed contently, feeling better now that they were both close to him

Harry felt a sudden deja-vu, because he suddenly felt like he had been in this situation before. And sure enough, he recognized this particular tension around them and his mind ran the scenarios in his head. Cho. And then Ginny. His hands cold and his lips warm...

He leaned in unconsciously, almost instinctively, and then stopped as his heart dropped to his feet.

But... during those times, despite not knowing exactly what he was doing, Harry was at least sure of who he was about to kiss. There hadn’t been options, displayed oh so beautifully and temptingly in front of him. Two sets of eyes to look into before letting his eyelids close. Two sets of cheeks to stroke as he leaned into them. Two waists to hold onto. Two sets of hands to pull him closer. 

Two lips to kiss.

It was nothing if not magical the way they seemed to read into Harry’s small hesitation, and with a wave of unexpected wonder, Harry saw Draco and Theo lean into each other, their lips coming together in perfect coordination and making Harry feel like he was staring directly into the sun; ethereal and dazzling, but somehow perfectly natural.

Theo’s hand was still in Draco’s, and despite being rendered almost completely useless by the fascination of their kiss, Harry managed to take both their free hands in his, trying to wordlessly communicate how okay he was with this; how right it felt that they should be the ones to kiss first. 

They squeezed Harry’s hands and then slowly broke apart, turning to look at Harry with flushed faces. Harry felt too stunned to do anything but smile dumbly, toying in his head with the idea that Theo would taste like Draco and Draco would taste like Theo, and maybe he wouldn’t be able to tell them apart if they kissed him, but the thought made him want to discover it even more.

Harry looked into warm brown eyes, and then grey, and then he let his eyelids close. 

An adventure.

The lips that found his were soft and careful, kissing Harry like a question; a request to be closer and start something new out of nothing, which Harry responded by opening his mouth and letting his tongue explore the possibilities of finding out the person in front of him.

This was Theo.

Barely a second passed before Theo’s lips were being replaced, so fast that Harry had no time to take a breath or feel the coldness from Theo’s absence.

But it was okay, because these lips were eager and indiscreet, kissing Harry like a statement; gratefulness and forgiveness all in one, and Harry let these familiar and foreign feelings sink into him just like he sank his teeth into the bottom lip in front of him.

Draco gasped.

It was over then, and the three of them shared a few more embarrassed looks contrasted by pleased smiles before Theo cleared his throat.

“This seems as good a time as any,” he whispered, letting go of their hands to dig through his pockets and then pulled out a small bottle with a clear liquid inside. 

“I stole something else from the kitchens.”

Harry and Draco looked at each other with impressed incredulity and then turned back to Theo.

“Alright,” Draco said with a nod as he started pulling Harry and Theo towards the staircase. “But let’s get down from here. I don’t really like towers.”

Theo looked curiously at Draco, as if he was surprised by this new information. “You don’t?”

“Why?” Harry asked, looking over his shoulder at the view of the grounds and then back at Draco.

Draco seemed to consider them for a moment, searching their faces before his own cheeks turned slightly pink.

“I feel like I’m about to fall.”


End file.
